


Downtime

by SarkyFancyPants



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarkyFancyPants/pseuds/SarkyFancyPants
Summary: It's never easy to come clean about your feelings to somebody you've known for a while, after months of antagonizing each other, then finally forming a closer bond. Especially if that somebody is Handsome Jack.
Relationships: Handsome Jack (Borderlands)/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	Downtime

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a self-indulgent little piece for comfort during a very stressful time. Thought, I still wanted to post it, so I polished it and here we are. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

The meeting was long and boring and Handsome Jack couldn’t wait for the group of businessmen chit-chatting to leave the meeting room already. Although they were done dealing with their main subject, they only continued to converse on details, extending the reunion to unnecessary lengths. The CEO was only waiting for them to cause the slightest offense so he could have an excuse to airlock them right away and make his day more fruitful. 

He glanced down at Pip, his henchman, who was standing by his side with his chin up and his arms behind his back, appearing all the most imposing. He grinned, blowing softly at him hoping that it would get his attention. 

Though something about him contrasted his demeanor and Jack was able to notice judging by his lost, unblinking stare into nothing.

The short, red-haired man was visibly tense, taking very short, strained breaths, his jaw clenched, teeth grinding, pointy ears pressed down, and his hands balled into tight fists with fingers fidgeting uncontrollably.

Jack frowned and his smile disappeared, lips pursing with a subtle look of sympathy. He had seen this sort of behavior before and understood that his fellow companion wasn’t feeling all that well to be there. On other occasions, this would annoy him. But in the past several months that they’ve been working together, he had become accustomed to his ally’s nature, despite all their disagreements and constant clashing, at the end of the day, they figured out how to work things out.

Keeping his eyes focused back on the guests, Jack leaned down slightly, close to Pip’s ear. “Tired of these chumps, Pipsqueak?” He whispered.

Pip’s ears flicked at Jack’s direction but didn’t quite respond with words, eyes still wide and unfocused. Almost as if he remembered he needed to breathe, he exhaled slowly, letting air out through his nose with a faint wheeze. He nodded.

Jack nodded back in acknowledgment. “They’ll be done soon, don’t worry.” He purred. “If not, I’m kicking them out myself.” 

A very subtle smirk grew on Pip’s lips before they twitched back into a tight, pursed state.

Jack lifted his hand discreetly behind Pip and placed it over his nape, right below the metal plug implant rooted to his spine. The short man did not protest, as the warmth of Jack’s palm felt rather comforting despite the roughness of his skin. Given their difference in sizes, Jack’s fingers could almost wrap all the way around his neck. It was a thrilling sensation.

With slow, firm movements, Jack rubbed and pinched at the scruff, all the way up and back down, pressing with the tip of his fingers and his thumb. Pip shuddered with a shaky breath and his shoulders slumped, tail coiled as the fine blue fur fluffed up giving it a velvety appearance. Jack no longer paid attention to the conversation occurring right in front of them at that point, nor did he care about it anyway.

“Alright, fellas…” Jack finally said, clasping his hands together loudly enough to make Pip and even the other businessmen flinch in surprise. “Our time here is over. In fact, it was over about thirty minutes ago. You’re all lucky ya caught me in a good mood today, otherwise…”

“B-But sir…” One of the men mumbled. “We have yet to discuss our solution for workers who suffer from skull-shivers. It’s still a problem…”

“Bah, they’re gonna die eventually anyway. Just leave it like that.” The CEO waved a hand dismissively. “And so will _you_ if y’all don’t leave this office immediately, so better get those legs movin’ out of this office before my henchman here throws you out in pieces!”

The businessmen looked at each other and then at Pip, who continued to glare down with an ominous wide-eyed expression which made the men shiver with fear. One by one, they clumsily stood up from their chairs and trotted straight out the gate without a minute to spare as the doors finally closed behind them with a loud metallic clunk.

“Sheesh, finally! Thought they would never shut up. And that guy with the nasal tone? I couldn’t understand what that muppet was saying most of the time!” Jack laughed with a sigh. “Well, now that that’s taken care of, it’s just you and me, pumpkin.” He leaned close to his henchman, placing his arm over his shoulders.

Pip’s posture relaxed completely, rubbing his face with a deep sigh of relief.“I’m sorry, Jack. I-”

“Shush, shush. No apologies.” Jack patted Pip’s back. “I know you had a rough week chasing pesky bandits and what not… They really gave you a hard time during your stay at Lynchwood, didn’t they?”

“It stresses me out…” Pip grumbled. “Head’s still recoverin’ from me last encounter with that beefcake Brick and his gang of dribblin’ mouthbreathers.”

“He did smash you pretty hard.” Jack let out a chuckle. “Seriously, your face was ground beef! The medic had a bad time trying to put your teeth back in their place.”

The red-haired man sighed again with a seriously pained expression on his face causing Jack to purse his lips with great concern. What was he supposed to do at such a reaction? His henchman usually laughed and joked back about it as well, but not this time.

Pip had more in his mind that day other than the frustration he felt from failing again and again in his mission to kill the Vault Hunters; something Jack demanded from him more often than anything else. Earlier that day, Jack had called him to have an “important talk” after the meeting. Pip could only think of the worst, and Jack’s calm attitude tormented him even more.

All he wanted to do was to impress Jack. Get on his good side. Even more, now that they had grown closer as time passed. Something that brought conflict in him every time Jack would get a bit too chummy. The man was one shifty character, with his sarcasm and shifts in attitude, Pip often found himself questioning if there was more to his friendliness than just a display of his cocky demeanor.

He risked engaging with one of his doppelgangers, not knowing what to expect. He had hoped it would satisfy what he thought was merely brief dazed infatuation, but that only made things worse.

He didn't know what to do. Pip didn't want to tell Jack about what he felt. He believed it wasn't the best moment. But if it wasn't now, then when? Jack was rather calm that particular day, such a rare occurrence that he couldn’t afford to waste. 

But then again, the CEO had a tendency to perfectly hide what was a brewing fit of rage under a relaxed smile. A simple nudge and he would explode.

The thought of Handsome Jack’s reaction if he found out that he was interested in him was driving him mad with a dreadful curiosity, wondering if telling him would result in revulsion at such revelation that would only end in Jack despising or hurting him. 

Pip swallowed hard, quickly regaining his composure. “I’m fine.”

Jack incredulously arched a brow. “Uh-huh. No, you’re not.” He murmured. “We have been buddies for quite a while, pumpkin. You know you can tell your good ol pal Jack anything. That’s why we’re here. So what is it? Is the slag poisoning acting up again?”

“N-No it-”

“Because you know I can always _motivate_ Sammy to fix your meds if they’re not working.”

The short man frantically waved his hands and shook his head. “The meds are fine, Jack!”

Silence permeated within the room. Jack stood back with arms crossed and head tilted.

“Maybe we should sit down.” Jack said seriously, extending an arm guiding his henchman to the seats in the office.

A cold shiver shot through Pip’s body. With a subtle, fearful nod, he complied following Jack’s suggestion and tentatively walked towards the wide leather couch, feeling the CEO’s burning stare as he followed behind. 

Jack sat significantly close to his henchman with one arm resting at the back of the seat just behind him. “Now tell me, what’s wrong?” He purred.

“I… Allow me to be entirely blunt with ya.” Pip’s lips quivered as he tried to speak, but hesitation kept him from being able to get the words out of his mouth. It was all so sudden and he couldn’t think of a way to turn the conversation in a different direction. Knowing Jack, he wasn’t one to simply let go and ignore something that had peaked his attention.

Time was short before Jack’s patience ran out. There was a moment of clarity for Pip. Being true to his feeling wasn’t one of his strongest qualities, so it was all or nothing at that point. His heart began to race as the words came to place. 

“The day I met ya, Jack, I thought I would hate _everythin’_ about ya...” He started off slowly with tense shoulders and his hands squeezing at his knees.

Jack narrowed his eyes with genuine, alerted disconcert.

“That ye would be nothin’ but a thorn on me side.” Pip continued and stood up shaking his head. He began pacing from side to side taking deep breaths in every pause he made. “Every snicker, every glare, every condescending word that came out from yer deceitful mouth only filled me with burnin’ anger. To remember I was goin’ to be stuck with ye for this long made me sick to my stomach.”

He stopped facing away from Jack, standing with his head hanging low and his gaze fixed on the floor. He tapped his foot anxiously, placing his hands on his hips, and nibbled his lower lip.

“Who would have thought that workin’ for ya… _with_ ya… would eventually become enjoyable? Not me. Not in me craziest dreams." He chuckled bitterly, turning around to look at Jack, rubbing his cheek and dragging it down to his hairy chin. "Ye are still a dick, but, I guess I tolerate... I-I have seen ya on an entirely different light, I mean… what I’m tryna say is…” Pip began stammering and the momentary confidence he had obtained was starting to dwindle as well as the tone of his voice. “Agh feckin’ hell.”

Jack reclined slowly, sinking into the seat with arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows with a small nod, gesturing his henchman to continue with his speech.

Pip sighed with frustration, dropping his arms to his sides in defeat. “This is stupid, but…” He tilted his head back letting out a puff of air and squeezed his eyes shut. “I have grown _very_ fond of ya… Jack. Tha-That is one way to put it at least.”

Handsome Jack’s lips curled into a cheeky smile followed by a wheezy giggle that shot a cold shiver through Pip’s body. 

“Man, that’s a relief!” Jack exclaimed standing up from his seat and making his way closer to his henchman. “And here I was worried you were gonna say you were secretly working as a spy for somebody else or something. I was bracing myself for yet _another_ stab in the back.”

Pip blinked quite perplexed by the response he got. He felt as if his head was about to explode from all the tension that had been building up all day up to that point. He didn’t realize his whole face had gained a bright red blush from the tip of his nose to the pointy ends of his ears.

“So, you like me, huh, kitten?” Jack purred, leaning closer to the short man’s reddened face. “I was hoping the rumor to be true.”

“Ru-Rumor?” Pip squeaked. “Ya knew about this?”

“A little birdie told me so.” Jack winked. “By birdie I mean Nisha. You two had a full conversation about it if I’m not wrong. In her words, she thought it was amusing that -the scary little henchman was so head over heels for the big boss he didn’t see the hulking bandit coming to smash him in the face with a tractor tire-.” He snorted. “Super cute if you ask me. Not the -tire hitting your face- bit though, that was gnarly.”

“Wh-wha…” Pip’s scowled with a growing look of indignation. “This whole time… and didn’t say anythin’?!” He growled, face flushing an even brighter red from anger and embarrassment. “Why?!” 

Jack gently put his hand under his henchman’s chin lifting his face up. “I wanted to hear it coming from _you_.” He said softly.

The look of fury faded from the short man’s green eyes as they softened with a yearning gaze, a shuddered breath slipped through his lips, his head tenderly leaning onto Jack’s palm, lifting his clawed hand to hold it, pressing on it.

“Ye are not bothered by this?” Pip mumbled with uncertainty, his voice cracking slightly.

“Are you kidding? I think it’s awesome! You really flatter me, pumpkin.” Jack held Pip’s face with both hands softly squishing it, taking a good look at it while rubbing a thumb on the man’s scarred cheek. “Man, I never realized how adorable you look when your eyes do that soft puppy-look.”

Pip was perplexed, blinking with his mouth slightly open. Jack huffed with amusement.

“You okay there?”

“I ah… I’m still processin’. I’m not sure.”

“Eh it’s cool, you’re cool.” Jack patted Pip’s cheek and hugged him from the side with a little friendly jiggle. “Alright so… how about we go over to my place and finish our little chat there, hm? Sound good? Of course it does.”

Pip quirked an eyebrow looking up at Jack with wide eyes. “Is this a date then?”

“Ah-duh!” Jack laughed cupping his henchman’s face once more. “Did you imagine this moment to going on like this?”. He inquired playfully.

The short man shook his head. “No. Not at all. I imagined it goin’ _much worse_ actually.” His eyes shifted with slight horror replaying every worst-case scenario going on in his head. He sighed, holding Jack’s wrists longingly. “So this is… this is truly comforting.”

“Then I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about now, cupcake. I can assure you that.” Jack said smugly, finally planting a warm kiss on Pip’s head. “We already make a great team after all.”


End file.
